There have been significant changes regarding the fitting of replacement catalytic converters for road use.

The law now states that for cars and light vans first registered after 1st March 2001 for road use, any replacement catalytic converter fitted to the vehicle must be Type Approved. This means that the washcoat and precious metal coating on the catalyst will have to be of OE quality in order to gain Type Approval.

What Does This Mean?

For cars after 2001, Jetex will only supply standard fitting Type Approved ceramic catalytic converters. There will be no Type Approvals for metallic substrates.

Our range of non-standard sports catalysts will be restricted to cars registered before March 1st 2001. However, there will be a limited range of sports catalysts for later cars, but these will be foroff road use only. Our catalysts will be marked ‘Ilegal to supply to type-approved vehicles first used on or after 1st March 2001’.

We will still supply universal catalysts but these must not be fitted to road cars if registered after March 1st 2001. Each catalyst will be marked ‘Ilegal to supply to type-approved vehicles first used on or after 1st March 2001’.

Remember, this legislation does not affect cars used off-road or on a track and those registered before2001.

This is a prime example of what happens when the government enters into something it has no idea about.

With these regulations the government has decided that regulating the materials and markings on a catalytic converter is a more effective way of monitoring vehicle emissions and not actually measuring the real vehicle emissions.

The bueraracrats have got so close to the problem they have lost perspective as to what they are trying to achieve which is supposedly to reduce emissions.

The suitability of a catalytic converter should be based on whether it “cleans” the emissions to a suitable standard, what is used in the catalytic converter is completely irrelevant.

This type approval regulation limits choice and limits technological development and places barrier market entry and creates a possible black market in catalytic converters. All these things increase costs for motorists.

Instead of governments spending your money on making emissions less, the government will be spending your money on making sure catalytic converters are made in the way they think is best, regardless of whether the vehicle emissions are within the levels deemed legal.

With this legislation the government is saying it will fine businesses and/or people even if the car they worked on or own can pass the MOT.

With this legislation the government is saying that vehicle emissions are not the most important thing.

The most important thing it that your catalytic converter comes with the relevant paperwork and is stamped they way the government wants

By increasing the costs of the motorist it means more of the earths resources must be consumed to achieve the same goal, ie a road worthy car.

For this reason this regulation actually damages the environment rather than helping the environment and shows the government have completely lost sight of what they are supposedly trying to achieve.